Electric rail-bond



I r (NoModeL) G. H. SCOTT. ELECTRIC RAIL BOND.

I O- Patented Sept. 8 1896.

ML'HEBE'EE 5 :n: 5 v

UNITED STATES PATENT UEEICE.

GEORGE HASKELL SCOTT, OF VVOROESTER, MASSACHUSETTS.

ELECTRIC RAIL-BOND.

srncmcarron forming part of Letters Patent No. 567,257, dated September8, 1896.

Application filed Maroh 9, 1896. Serial No- 582,365. (No model.)

To CLZZ whom it may concern:

Be i t known that I, GEORGE HASKELL Scorr, of the city and county ofWorcester and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Electric Bail- Bonds; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of thisspecification, and in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view ofpart of two rails with their ends abutting and my improved bond deviceapplied thereto for obtaining an electric connection between said rails.Fig. 2 represents detached views of the two parts composing one end ofsaid bond device. Fig. 3 is an outer end view of one of the cylindricalcollars of the device, hereinafter described. Fig. 4 is a centrallongitudinal section through the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is alongitudinal section through said parts shown in Fig. 2 and part of arailflange with the cylindrical collar fitted in the opening of saidrail-flange and a metal block fitted over the connecting-rod against thehead of said cylindrical collar preparatory to hammering upon itsopposite end to fasten the device in the rail, as will also behereinafter described. Fig. 6 represents the parts shown in Fig. 5 afterthe bond device has been thus fastened in the rail, and Figs. 7 and 8show modifications in the construction of the cylindrical collarhereinafter described.

My invention relates to that class of electric rail-bonds in which aplain cylindricalv connecting rod or wire is used between the devicesfitted in the openings in the rails.

The object of my invention is to produce an electric rail-bond,of assimple construction as possible, which may be easily and securelyapplied to the rails, and whereby a perfect electrical connection may bemaintained between said rails.

Said invention consists of a connecting rod or wire and two collars, onefor each end of said rod or wire, adapted to fit over the ends thereofand in the openings in the rails and made cylindrical in shape, alsoprovided with an external annular rib or flange at its inner end and aninternal annular bevel at its outer end flaring outward from itslongitudinal opening, and also preferably having the exterior of itsouter end beveled in the opposite direction to said internal bevel, aswill be hereinafter more fully set forth.

In order that others may better understand the nature and purpose of mysaid invention,

I will now proceed to describe it more in detail.

Referring to the drawings, A B represent parts of two rails with theirends abutting, as is indicated by the division-line O.

D D are the cylindrical collars which fit in the rail-flange openings,and E the connectin g rod or wire extending between said collars.

The essential features of my invention consist in the specialconstruction of the collars D D and the manner of fastening the same tothe ends of the connecting rod or wire and in the openings of the railflanges. Said collars are made cylindrical in shape upon both theirouter and inner surfaces, and are also made of the proper size to fittight in the openings of the rail flanges when driven therein. Theirlongitudinal openings are of the proper size to admit of the ends of theconnecting-rod being easily inserted therein, and to also fit snuglywhen thus insert-ed. Upon what is to be the inner end of each 001- lar,when fitted in the rail, as aforesaid is formed an external annular ribor flange a, adapted to bear against the inner side of the rail-flangewhen said collar is fitted in place. The outer end of each collar isalso provided with an internal bevel b, flaring outward from itslongitudinal opening 0, and an external converging bevel 6 may also beformed upon said end, if desired; but I do not limit myself to saidexternal bevel, as it is not an essential feature to my invention.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings I have shown one of the collars provided withonly the internal bevel, the outer edge of the end being made square.While this construction is not as desirable as to have both edgesbeveled, I reserve the right to thus make the collars, if desired, aspreviously stated. I also reserve the right to make the collars ofsquare form in cross-section, as is shown in Fig. 8, or other shapesadapted to fit the shape of the connecting-rod upon which they are used.

In applying my improved rail-bond to the rails the collars D D are firstdriven into the openings in said rails. The ends of the connecting rodor wire are then inserted (at the ribbed or flanged ends of the collars)into the longitudinal openings of said collars and pushed through towithin about one-sixteenth of an inch of the outer ends of the collars,as is shown in Fig. 5. A metal block F is now placed and held by onehand against the inner end of one of the collars, as is shown in Fig.5,and with an ordinary flat-headed hammer in the other hand said collaris struck a number of blows squarely upon the beveled end, the result ofwhich is to first cause the collar to buckle orbe forced out laterallyat the center, and then, as the blows are continued, to head over ontothe outer surface of the railflange around its opening, and by the timethe end of the collar is flattened down to a level with the end of theconnecting-rod, so that the hammer will strike thereon, said rod is sosecurely held against longitudinal movement in the opening of the collarthat by the continned hammering upon the end of said collar and the endof the rod both are perfectly headed over, the collar onto therail-flange, as aforesaid, and the rod onto the internal bevel b of saidcollar, as is shown in Fig. 6, thereby securely holding the bond fromlongitudinal movement in the rail-flange opening. Said hammeringoperation also results in forming averyperfect surface connectionbetween the rail, collar, and connecting-rod. In fact, the connectionbetween said parts in practice is soperfect that when out through insection the-lines of division between the parts are scarcelyperceptible. This result of so perfectlyheadin g and uniting said partsis mainly due to'the employment of the internal bevel h onthe outer endof each collar D. By thus bevelin g said ends the impact of the hammeris first directed against the central longitudinal portion of thecollar, and consequently causes it'to be forced or squashed outlaterally atthe center before it commences to head. It also facilitatesthe heading operation, as the natural tendency of the stock as it ishammered' down toward the level of the end of the connecting-rod is tospread rather than to be forcedlaterally toward the center. Then, again,by the use of said bevel, when the end of the connecting-rod is reachedin the hammering operation, it is permitted to spread or flatten outagainst said beveled surface, and thus'forms a very perfect and secure'clench in the collar to hold it from being pulled out or becomingloose. Should it become at all loose, it may be readily tightened againby a few blows of the hammer. Not only is the outer end thus securelyheld, but, owing to the hammering upon the outer end against the metalblock at its inner end, the collar is also headed and forced outlaterally at said inner end, and thus produces a tight connectionthroughout its entire length to hold it securely from movementlongitudinally in either direction.

It is obvious that while the rib a is a desirable feature in theconstruction, not being absolutely essential, I reserve the right todispense with the same, as is shown in Fig. 7, if desired.

From the foregoing description it is obvious that my improved bond maybe easily and quickly applied, and when thus applied produces a perfectand secure bond connection for the electric current between one rail andanother.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. An improved electric rail-bond, comprising in combination aconnecting rod or wire, and two collars, one for each end of said rod orwire, adapted to fit over the ends thereof, and in the openings in therails, and made cylindrical in shape, also provided with an external,annular rib or flange at its inner end, and an internal, annular bevelat its outer end flaring outward from its longitudinal opening, and alsopreferably having the exterior of its outer end beveled in the oppositedirection to said internal bevel, substantially as and for the purposeset forth.

2. The combination of the rail and the con nectin g rod or wire, withthe collar D, adapted to fit in the usual transverse opening in saidrail and over the end of said connecting rod or wire, and having theinternal, annular bevel b flaring from its longitudinal opening,whereby, when said beveled end of the collar is hammered against a metalblock, placed over the connecting rod or wire against the inner end ofsaid collar, the central portion thereof will be first forced orsquashed out to hold the rod or wire in place, and then, by continuedblows, headed, and the end of the rod or wire also headed to securelyhold the parts and form a perfect electric bond connection,substantially as set forth.

GEO. HASKELL SCOTT.

lVitnesses:

A. A. BARKER, XV. l3. NOURSE.

